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Kitchens are clean, dry and more predictable, which allows you to keep your business on schedule

One of the many reasons kitchen remodeling is nicer than other types of construction: When it storms, you get to watch the lightning from the inside of a cozy kitchen. (Photo courtesy of Baccharus, via Wikimedia Commons)

Contracting can be a dirty job with a lot of interruptions if you don’t pick the right specialty. Contractors who build decks and home additions are at the mercy of the elements, cancelling work days or working in the mud when the weather gets nasty.

That’s one reason why it’s nice to work in a cozy kitchen. Barring a tornado, the job site is secure. You spend your days in climate-controlled spaces that contain refrigerators and, possibly, cookies. That beats wrestling with tarps or worrying about whether to send your subcontractors home.

Kitchen cabinet refacing business more predictable

Just ask Larry Schaffert of Frederick, Md. He bought a Kitchen Solvers franchise in 1998 as an add-on to his existing business, Schaffert Construction, which he founded in 1989.

“My preference is to do kitchen work,” he says. “There’s no mud, no working out in the cold weather or rain. When I do additions and that kind of work, there’s a lot more involved. Kitchens are easier.”

Working indoors lets him stay on schedule, keep appointments and keep the jobs and revenue flowing through his business.

But weather is just one of many things that can complicate life for general contractors, says Art Mancino of Roswell, Ga.

“I’d rather stay in the kitchen,” says Mancino, whose Kitchen Solvers location serves metropolitan Atlanta. “In the bathroom, you can usually only get one subcontractor in at a time. With a kitchen, you can have multiple people working on it.”

Also, there’s the issue of rude surprises: “Bathrooms are never simple; there are always add-ons,” Art says. “A $15,000 remodel for a bathroom will probably mean that and 10 percent more. Either the homeowner wants a bigger shower and you have to move a drain, or you have to tear out drywall and move a joist. It’s all extra work which you don’t know about until you start to tear things out. Those surprises don’t happen in the kitchen.”

Training is easier

Kitchen Solvers specializes in cabinet refacing, a more affordable and environmentally-friendly option that preserves as much of the original cabinetry as possible while completely revamping its appearance.

Larry points out that the lack of surprises makes training much easier.

“I can train pretty much anyone to reface, unless you’re all thumbs,” Larry says. “That doesn’t apply to other aspects of remodeling, so the labor force was another consideration in looking into kitchen remodeling and refacing. I have two carpenters that I work for me, and I have a part-time office person to help me run my business. Since the jobs are smaller, it does require you from a sales cycle standpoint to get more leads. It’s a different dynamic for sure, but you’re also not stuck working for somebody for three to six months, especially if they turn out not to be fun to work for.”

Kitchen Solvers has 68 franchise owners and has remodeled more than 45,000 kitchens since the company was founded in 1982. We pioneered high-quality kitchen cabinet refacing, a less expensive option that is growing as the remodeling industry begins to boom.